Good morning Positives,
A stylish victory brought fans, and it may be a few players, back to footballing life after the international break and the trough of our preceding result.
We played high speed football, with passing accurate and our players’ movement crisp. Our two Summer signings Lacazette and Sead stood out all afternoon. Ozil performed immaculately, Ramsey and Xhaka raced back and forth, all industry and nicking the ball first. And Danny Welbeck eh ? If ever a player deserved a wave of the wand of luck, as I’d say Danny had by being served a tricky but scoreable chance in the 6th minute. The stadium erupted. If Welbeck’s first strike had a whiff of fortune his second was a controlled finish, bottom corner, no chance for Begovic. And Alexandre’s goal in the 27th, or was it the 28th, minute ?
As AW on Danny said;
“Yep, I’m pleased with his performance, I kept faith in him and overall I think he is getting stronger and stronger and more confident. Confidence plays a big part in his game and I loved his finishing on his second goal.”
“Kept faith in him”. It was Welbeck’s day. Nice snap from the Daily Mail today at the top to celebrate.
Defensively ? Arsene stuck with his three formation, and my view for what it is worth is that Kosc, Musatfi and Nacho are our best 3. Kosc made just one tackle yesterday and Petr Cech just one save, just one.
And Giroud and Sanchez for that final 15 minutes – they looked HUNGRY.
No controversies, did anyone notice the referee ?
We were much too good for Bournemouth, simple as that.
Of our visitors they did not seem the same ‘together’ team that turned up last season and put up such a battle at the Ems, and then gave us an even worse fright with the 3-3 evening on the South coast. Third season syndrome ? Eddie Howe has spent a lot of cash but his probably more talented players do not have the same organisation as his earlier group. Swift action needed.
We have an interesting week ahead. Our first Europa League game ever and our first game in a second tier Euro completion since Galatasaray in May 2000. I see the stadium is sold out. It should be a good night. You will be pleased to know that Cologne suffered a sound 3-0 drubbing in the Bundesliga by Augsburg yesterday, the hat-trick of goals scored by a player well known to England fans Alfred Finnbogasson (shudders). Our German opponents sit firmly bottom of their league with 0 points from three games. I trust we’ll not take them lightly. Even so …….
I shall not be with you on Thursday as during the game I shall be high over the Atlantic. The Chelsea game however I shall watch somewhere in NYC and, technology permitting, get straight back to you!
Enjoy your week.
Positively Arsenal 
Good morning all. What a difference a good performance means.
LikeLiked by 6 people
Thanks Andy Nic: fine work and a crisp and effervescent performance from a side who looked determined to start playing properly again. Interesting to note the manager’s comments about having kept faith with Welbeck. I still hold out hopes that he might become a genuine Arsenal legend and yesterday’s performance will have done wonders for his confidence.
LikeLiked by 4 people
Good morining Andy.
A win makes the weekend mood so much better.
Lots and lots of positives to take from yesterday, and I think it was only a 6.5/10 level from the Arsenal, compared to their best levels.
Haven’t been posting much – technology problems
LikeLiked by 3 people
double canister
Well spotted in my opinion
For that reason I suspect we wont see as many changes as we might have on thursday.
LikeLike
I know it’s too soon for this really, but a bit of fun none the less, Thusday’s team could be
Ospina
Debuchy-Holding-Per-??
Wilshere-Elneny
Theo-AMT-Willock
Giroud
LikeLike
However, the Boss has hinted he might play a much stronger team, as if we beat Köln at home and we will be well on our way in the group. Get qualification done and dusted in first 3games, then we can really see ful u23 squads for end of the group stage.
LikeLike
That was a fun afternoon…Ox going from 0-4 to 0-5. And then we played. Pity that Bournemouth weren’t really opposition. They reminded me of us at the ‘pool.
Hope that Welbz shows the same all-round performance at Chel$ki…deservedly he was my MOM. Also good to see Sead and Laca back,
LikeLiked by 1 person
For Thursday I expect we will see the six fit subs from Yesterday – Ospina, Per, Iwobi, Theo, Giroud and Alexis, Add in Elneny who looks sure to play, then its a matter of how many players lacking in game time we can risk, Debuchy, Wilshere and Chambers have very few minutes of preseason games under their belt, but they aren’t going to get the game time if we don’t pick them. So that is a possible 10 of the team or at least the squad, so then we are looking at the next in line, young players, Maitland-Niles, Reine-Adelaide, Nelson, Willock, Nketiah, Akpom, DaSilva, Macey. That gives us the possible 18 man squad.
Many are crying out for Nelson to get started, but at the same time saying not at RWB, but in an attacking position, which ignores that we have Theo, Iwobi, Alexis and Giroud who are ahead of him and need game time and I expect all 4 to start, and to witness a twitter meltdown by those that are over hyping young Nelson (a great talent, a great prospect, but he is clearly behind the four I mention in the pecking order so a bit of calm is needed)
Nelson has made it clear he does not want to play wingback, so a bit of a conundrum, a position he does not want, does not like, and Wenger says he is not good defensively and needs to learn that end of the game, but its the most likely place he can get a starting spot.
if it was up to me the entire starting team from yesterday would get the day off and be rested for CFC on Sunday
I would pick, but don’t expect AW to pick
Ospina
Holding Per Chambers
Debuchy Wilshere Elneny Iwobi
Walcott Alexis
Giroud
subs: Macey, Maitland-Niles, Reine-Adelaide, Willock, Nelson, Nketiah, Akpom
LikeLike
on the team’s perfect response…
Yes, in two ways. First of all I would have been happy with the win, but the way we played as well I think added to the way we responded, so overall I am pleased. You check the team after a bad performance. How much is in there? How much can they respond? Overall I think we did very well.
on whether it could be a big season for Welbeck…
Yep, I’m pleased with his performance, I kept faith in him and overall I think he is getting stronger and stronger and more confident. Confidence plays a big part in his game and I loved his finishing on his second goal.
on how pre-season made a difference for him…
Of course, he has all the physical qualities to play at that level. If he can add the finishing, he’s a team player as well, he is loved by his partners, so that’s a lot of positives.
on Lacazette growing with each game…
Yes, I kept him out at Liverpool because I thought you can take some time to adapt, but I agree, he is getting stronger and stronger from game to game. Physically he worked very hard today. He still suffered a little bit in the second half, but physically he’s getting better in every game. And on the football front, you see he is a great player.
on a clean sheet for the defence…
I went for more experience at the back, I changed the positions a little bit and I think it suited them well and we looked solid. We had a bad experience at Liverpool, so you always think ‘should we change everything from a system that we did very well with at the end of last season?’ But I think it was worth experiencing it again.
on his team selection for the Europa League…
It will be a Premier League team. Some players will come in of course, because many players played twice for the national team, and then again today. So two or three will not be in the squad, but most of them will play.
Read more at https://www.arsenal.com/news/wenger-why-will-be-big-season-welbeck#GsPCSgP2J0jHJX1b.99
Read more at https://www.arsenal.com/news/wenger-why-will-be-big-season-welbeck#tTHC16FXMr5Fguq7.99
LikeLike
I see from Wenger’s comment above that most of yesterdays squad will be involved again on Thursday, with some of those that played 2 Internationals the most likely to drop out of starting berths with 2 or 3 to be rested completely.
So Koscielny, Kolasinac, Monreal, Ramsey, Xhaka, Ramsey and Ozil the most likely to be left out of starting 11 or out of the squad.
I’d say Koscienly, Ramsey and Ozil the most likely to rested completely.
the youths might not even make the bench. Cue dismay angst horror and gnashing of teeth
LikeLike
We are only four games into the new Premier League season, but Danny Welbeck has already beaten his goal tally from last term.
The England forward netted his second and third goals of the campaign during Saturday’s 3-0 win against Bournemouth, taking him past the two domestic strikes he netted during an injury-disrupted season in 2016/17.
Now fully fit with a full pre-season behind him for the first time in an Arsenal shirt, Welbeck has started this year in fine scoring form – even if he has received some luck along the way.
Read more at https://www.arsenal.com/news/ive-been-hitting-those-repetitions-training#ZIWRHGXwjG5D8w4H.99
Read more at https://www.arsenal.com/news/ive-been-hitting-those-repetitions-training#kOCF3jd98R1CRklI.99
LikeLiked by 1 person
isn’t it odd that Koscielny’s red card v Bayern Munich when 1-0 ahead was no excuse for us losing that game 5-1, but Mane getting sent off while LFC are 1-0 down is not only an excuse for losing 5-0, but is actually an excuse for them losing at all, “it was only 1-0” is the soundbite.
LikeLiked by 5 people
It’s always lovely when the spring is back in our collective Arsenal steps.
Great performance yesterday and I wouldn’t nessacarily say Bournemouth weren’t at the races, but that our game were so crisp, and the boys were too focus to stick to the game plan and their application thereof that they didn’t give Bournemouth a look in.
I’m happy for Danny. He had his doubters, me included, but kept his head down and rewarded the manager for keeping the faith. That would make Alexis sit up and take notice that he’s not so indispensable as he think.
Ramsey’s great performance might have gone unnoticed, but I think he played much within himself and was the ultimate team player. He stayed in midfield and that’s always pleasing to see, did a very good impression of Santiago by the way.
High 5 to Anthony Taylor. I wouldn’t mind seeing more of him. A5 knows [insert thumbs up emoji]
Roll on Thursday – it will be a beware experience for all of us. Personally I don’t think we’ll make many changes. Need to get a bit of momentum going.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Good day folks!
Here is South Florida weathering Hurricane Irma! So far so good, though we lost power.
Anyways…excellent performance yesterday. Very pleased with the overall effort. Every player was locked in defensively. Keep this up and we will achieve great things.
Be blessed!
LikeLiked by 3 people
History made in the Bundesliga—Bibiana Steinhaus has become the league’s first-ever female referee
LikeLiked by 2 people
report from Bild in Germany that Kolasinac is expected at court at 12:30 tomorrow for excessive speed and running a red traffic light.
LikeLike
Paul, stay safe. Conditions look to be deteriorating rapidly in South Florida today. I hope you’re well inland.
On that note, glad to hear you’re headed for our shores this week Andy, but do keep an eye on Jose (the hurricane, not the Special One). That one seems to be a little unpredictable, much like its football manager namesake. Who knows where it might eventually make landfall.
LikeLiked by 3 people
The team showed again yesterday that when they are focussed can they can achieve great things. The problem seems to be maintaining that focus over a long hard season. The kind of loss of confidence and sustained dips in performance that we saw last season are what stand between them and winning something even bigger than the FA cup. The problem for AFC is that when these dips occur they receive little to no support from the 12th man who is busy swallowing the media and uberblagger BS and amplifying it all over the internet and the stadium, poisoning the atmosphere and sucking all the confidence out of them. I hope the players realise they need to close ranks and support each other through the good and bad periods and not expect much other than criticism and unrealistic expectations from the external environment.
LikeLiked by 4 people
sadly passenal the only time some of the fans get behind the team is to get on their backs
LikeLiked by 2 people
Paul N,
Stay safe….
Andy well written
Arsenal. Well [played!
LikeLiked by 3 people
Ivan Gazidis did a Q&A session with a Fans Forum yesterday morning before the game. Normally after these things there are many fake outraged articles, word for word runs downs of what was asked and what he said. AST made a big fuss beforehand about what questions they would be asking him, but oddly enough not a peep out of them after it. Arseblog did the only article about the event that I can find, they called it a heated fans forum (well it is that time of year where its best to protect from the chill) – http://news.arseblog.com/2017/09/gazidis-insists-club-not-going-backwards-at-heated-fans-forum/ – but its just an outline of the event.
Seemingly Ivan stayed on for an hour after the event to talk with “a few who stayed behind”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wenger on Alexis: “He’s not fat. His fat percentage is under ten. You know how it is; when you don’t win, people find any problem for you.”
LikeLiked by 1 person
Brendan Rodgers P72. Pts 138
Jurgen Klopp P72. Pts 131.
LikeLike
I can imagine what they would have said had an Arsenal player made the Mane challenge and failed to leave the pitch when sent off and then says the player was ‘Unlucky’ It’s like there is an alternative universe.
LikeLiked by 3 people
markyb
Incredible, isn’t it. About a hundred times more sympathy or disagreement than when Xhaka cynically tripped a guy in his own half, for a sending off that was without precedent at the time and hasn’t been seen since.
Another alternate universe seemed to be Goodison this weekend. I’ve only seen highlights, but it looked startling how much Spurs dominated Everton and how much Everton were standing off them.
There was a sequence of about twenty passes, culminating in a good chance, where the Everton players were often within touching distance but didn’t try and tackle/foul.
Our game there last year is fresh in my mind and it saw them turn the tide by making contact, often from behind, any time they could.
Koeman made some strange comments : ‘look, you know I don’t ask for yellows and reds…we were two nice, too weak…if you see in several situations Tottenham were really clever in the battles’
So for the 100th time in last decade, I’m wondering why they- Everton this time- didn’t even try those roughhouse tactics which won them the game against us.
Why wouldn’t they try? It can work incredibly well to turn a game when the opposition are on top, playing and passing confidently, while you are doing nothing.
Or does it almost wholly depend, in as much as it’s not really about closing down quickly and trying to make clean tackles, on how much fouling a ref will ignore?
I’d say yep, that Everton players and management knew that beforehand, and then had this confirmed throughout game as ref showed them he wouldn’t let them gain an advantage through fouls. They were totally out of ideas once a couple behind.
An alternate world indeed. You will never see us play a game somewhere like Goodison where we break them through football and they don’t respond, and have a good chance of turning game, through more fouls and aggression
LikeLiked by 5 people
cologne are an elite club. we need to play very solid team against then to give ourselves a chance to win. you dont lay reserve against a german ckub and expect to win. simple. the fact we play chelsea ob sunday even make it all the more reason we need to win in order to go into the game in a more confident mood. i’m sure wenger does understands the importance of good atmosphere around the club. we dont need the result that will put the team under undue pressure so soon.
i like the way giroud was eager to be involve in the last game. he was even angry the change was not been effected quicly enough that arsene had to calm him down. hoep he gets on the score sheet against cologne. i want him to succeed because he chose to stay when other were looking to leave.
one good thing about the last window is we finally rid of oxlade. a player we almost made a big moistake of offering a wooping 180k/w contract for being inconsistent. potential? nelson has greater potential.
LikeLiked by 3 people
Layksite
Agree. As soon as draw was made i had a bit of a reality check. Whereas I’d been imagining using lots of youngsters all the way through, and resting as many of first 11 as possible, as soon as names were drawn I started imagining every fixture as potentially tough.
I still hope to see those youngsters, as well as senior pro’s who aren’t in starting eleven, get opportunities, especially latter group; but push come to shove, I’ve ditched my thinking of keeping first eleven fresh and effectively treating it as though we’re not in Europe, for them, to try get benefits others have recently got of not playing in Europe.
Anyway, each game at a time is the only approach ; so we surely will go strong for this, the hardest game on paper, especially given how good it would be to start with a win.
I’d rest Ramsey 100%, maybe Monreal, probably Ozil, Welbeck,too. Three big games in a week for Ramsey and Welbeck seems an unnecessary risk at this stage with their injury histories.
Maitland-Niles and Nelson are the two youngsters I’d most like to see involved. M-N because if he is to make it here, he has to be given a chance before too long. Nelson because he’s so bloody exciting a talent.
Also would like to see Wilshere, Iwobi, Holding and, if fit, Chambers. Can’t wait for game myself.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Rich where do we play Nelson, if attacking role we have Walcott, Iwobi, Alexis, Giroud already in need of game time, that is 4 for the 3 slots. Nelson has already said he does not want to play Wing Back, and Wenger has basically said that the lad is not good enough defensively to play wing back, although its an option if he learns that side of the game.
LikeLike
I would play Nelson anywhere in the attacking midfield – and I would stat playing him off the bench as soon as possible in games where it seems that the match is being refereed properly. With a talent like that you gain little by waiting and I would like to see him have a go while he still knows he can walk on water, and a first-team fixture is just another game of football.
LikeLiked by 1 person
yes foreverheady I see a sub role for him, unless Wenger sees him having a real chance to quickly get ahead of walcott then I don’t see him upsetting a regular first team squad player by putting a kid in the team ahead of him. the forwards that are most likely to be played in up coming BPL games have to get the game time, ahead of a kid, regardless of the kids talent. Again I state if Nelson is seen, and he might very well be, as ready to usurp some of the senior players, then fine, won’t be the first time a great kid got promoted by Wenger, Anelka and Cesc both became regulars at the same age Nelson is now. I must say Nelson looks to be the same kind of special talent both Anelka and Cesc were.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Ed. I had bench in mind for him this time.
I’m not for playing him wingback right now at all. He is absolutely flying as an attacker, in the groove with confidence as high as can be. I’d like us to try use that as a springboard while in red hot form. Rashford is a good example of how a brilliant start to senior football can send a career rocketing. That won’t happen if we start him at wing-back.
As for M-N, I’m sure Wenger will, correctly i guess, think it’s too risky to play him as one of two in mid for this game, but I hope he starts there in cup game following week.
At present he still has habit of giving the ball away at least once a game in incredibly dangerous positions with a sloppy, casual pass, and for me it probably has to be this year we give him some good opportunities. Lot of talent there, and a couple of his attacking breaks this year in youth games have been sensational.
Maybe, hopefully, his focus will change for senior team, but I don’t think he is especially keen on wing-back role either, and it leaks into his play.
By the way, and though I normally hate thinking which says play a defender in defensive midfield because it’s bound to work…I think we should give Pleguezuelo a run there in youth games. Really impressing me this year, but I believe he is only 5 foot 11, and that’s really pushing it as a centre back in the premier league, especially if you don’t have a giant alongside you.
He’s lightening quick, aggressive, seems to have top attitude and sound technically…we endlessly move bigger central midfielders to the back- Hayden, Bielek, Sheaf and now McGuane- so why not try reverse for once?
LikeLike
Pleguezuelo is probably as tall as Monreal so don’t see why he would not be big enough for back 3 slot. Don’t think he is registered for EL, which is a big surprise. He is captain of the U23’s and had a loan spell last season.
He can play wingback too.
I seen AMN for the u23’s v Man Utd and as you say Rich, once again he gave away the ball needlessly with a sloppy pass, it seems to be a focus problem.
LikeLike
Anybody going on Thursday should get there early to hear the Cologne fans singing Bonnie Banks o’ Loch Lomond. It’s pretty special. Not even joking!
LikeLiked by 1 person
playing nelson at wing-back may be giving too much defensive responsibility to him which i’m not sure he ready for at the moment. i’ll rather we play AMN there as i think he gives the ball away too easily at centre back. debuchy i think will be much more mature to play the centre back. i still feel we dont have to make too many changes as that can distrupt the team.
LikeLike
Lets get a win on the board first lads, plenty of chance for Nelson to have a runout in the cariboo cup and later Europa games when we boss the group.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Boring aren’t I ?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, Its our job to pick the team Andy.and plan player development.
LikeLiked by 2 people
not a red card they say, just look at the city keeper
LikeLike
They would be calling for a custodial sentence if Giroud had done that
LikeLiked by 2 people
Donkey bollock shearer thinks that’s just unlucky what a cockwomble.
Reiss has played on either wing, just behind the striker and in CM for the U23s, just like Judas ox he prefers to pick the ball up and run at players rather than being to far forward when receiving it but as Andy says as he has been advanced up the age groups he definitely has time on his side.
Peggy is more the sweeper type of CB and is technically sound. I was surprised he wasn’t registered for the euro as well TBH, especially with Bielek just having shoulder surgery.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Another one at West Ham, no card. Friend seems to be giving spam most things. Tyler reckons ‘most’ of the players at the Etihad thought Mane should not have been sent off, what Liverpool players? Sweeping statement. What a knob.
LikeLiked by 2 people
‘A player is guilty of serious foul play if he uses excessive force or brutality against an opponent when challenging for the ball when it is in play. A tackle that endangers the safety of an opponent must be sanctioned as serious foul play.’
I can’t see any ambiguity in 2nd part of rule/law at all. The refrain is that people are judging it by the damage caused, and that this is wrong; but if someone makes contact with the head which causes no injury it is obviously a very different challenge to one which causes injury. (It’s like saying a playful jab in the ribs is the same as a full force punch which breaks some ribs.)
Basically, with the first, which doesn’t cause injury, a ref can use judgement and go yellow,red or even nothing; with the second, serious injury, there’s nothing to judge- it was a tackle that endangered the safety of an opponent. They actually should go over and check to see if there’s blood or broken bones
For me, the rule is therefore clear that any time someone breaks an opponents leg/ankle,etc, it pretty much has to be a red, regardless of whether there is contact with the ball first. How can you cause a serious injury with a forceful challenge and NOT have endangered the safety of an opponent?
Where common sense/ discretion comes into play is if a serious injury occurs in a tackle where there is clearly no excessive force or brutality- good example being Welbeck’s knee at Man City.
Those rules, which the vast majority of pundits have shamefully ignored, sometimes when someone has literally just read them out, make clear what absolute bullshit it was for Carroll, Cahill and Drinkwater not to see red against us in recent seasons; likewise for Kane to escape with a yellow first game this year.
Others which by the rules should have been, or even were very clear, reds: Bellerin elbow, Barton’s challenge on Diaby, maybe Cahill Mason and, I’m afraid, maybe… Ospina on Pedro?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Indeed Rich – Ospina probably should have been carded for that challenge. Goalkeepers get away with quite a lot at times.
LikeLiked by 1 person
New post up.
LikeLike